The Sands Of Time Dubai Watch Week

The 2025 edition felt like a city-sized statement, a fair built in weeks but powered by decades of culture, over 90 participating brands and a watch community that refuses to stand still; here's our reflections on it

- By Sharan Sanil

Since its inception a decade ago, Dubai Watch Week has always reflected the city that hosts it. Even from afar, you can sense its evolving confidence. This year's move from DIFC to Burj Park wasn't a logistical decision. It was a declaration, executed with the sort of theatrical flair that only Dubai can summon without breaking a sweat (pun intended).

As my hometown, Dubai shaped a lot of my personal understanding of socioeconomic ambition. Seventeen years of watching it remake itself left me with a warped baseline for what counts as 'big'—new malls, new districts, new skylines, new facilities—the city moves so fast it feels like living inside a timelapse. Its trade-friendly location and government support inarguably shaped it into a key business hub, but the modern retail landscape goes far beyond mere commerce. Today, it's a magnet for affluent travellers, aspirational locals and the entire orbit of premieres, popups and private salons. The watch world didn't just follow that rise; it synced perfectly with the city's rhythm.

So, when I learned that this year's venue was built in six weeks—an entire miniature city of air-conditioned halls, full-service restaurants, and a polished aesthetic that looked anything but temporary—it felt very on brand. Step outside and the Burj Khalifa's laser show rippled across the lake, framing the fair in a way no other horological event could dream of. Geneva has heritage, sure. But Dubai has spectacle, and it deploys it with conviction.

Brands At The Burj